It has been revealed that Everton chairmain Bill Kenwright refused to sell Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea due to the strained relationship between the two clubs.

The Toffees boss is said to have deliberately sabotaged the efforts of Chelsea in signing Lukaku due to their strained relationship that dates back to two seasons ago when the Blues approached Everton over the possibility of signing John Stones.

Everton were unhappy with the way Chelsea made low-ball bids that infuriated the transfer chiefs at Goodison Park. Stones eventually signed for Manchester City a season later but Chelsea transfer tactics might have cost them in their pursuit of Romelu Lukaku.

Reports in ESPN claim that Everton still have a grudge against Chelsea and will rather sell their players to their league rivals despite the Blues keen interest in re-signing Lukaku this summer.Antonio Conte has been not been pleased with the club’s approach in the transfer market so far, despite reports that the Italian is keen on adding more players to his squad after leading them to an impressive Premier League victory last season.